Mail-box.



L. S. GHADWICK.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 30, 1912 1,122,855. Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

3 SHEETSSHEET l.

Wrfnesses 'HL' Name! ."ETI RS CO PHOTO-LHHO WASHINGTON. av r' L. S.GHADWIGK.

MAIL BOX.

APPLIOATION FILED mm 30. 1912. 1, 1 212,855. Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.30, 1912. 1, 1 22,855. Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

3 SHEETS-"SHEET 3.

THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHDm-LITHO. WA HINUIUN. v. c.

TTNTTFLD STATS PTEEN @FFTQE.

LEE S. CHADWICK, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

MAIL-BOX.

Application filed December 30, 1912.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, LEE S. CHADWICK, acitizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county ofCuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in MaiLBoxes, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description, reference being ha d to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to boxes or receptacles and especially to mailboxes of the kind. that are employed in connection with the rural freedelivery system.

It is the general object of this invention to provide a box orreceptacle of this character which, while exceedingly convenient andetlicient in operation, will be economical of production.

Further and more limited objects of the invention are to produce anarticle of this character having a special construction of door orcover; a particularly eiiicient latching means for holding the door orcover closed, also a particular construction of target or indicator andsupporting means therefor.

Further objects of the invention will appear in connection with thedetailed description of the drawings forming part hereof wherein Figure1 represents a perspective view of a box constructed in accordance withmy invention; Fig. 2 an enlarged transverse section through the box, andlooking toward the front thereof; Fig. 3 a similar view looking towardthe rear of the box; Fig. 4 a central vertical sectional view throughthe box; Fig. 5 a sectional detail of the front end of the box, thecover being in open position; Fig. 6 a detail of the target or indicatorand its supporting arm; Fig. 7 a front elevation of a modified form ofthe box shown in the preceding views; Fig. 8 a vertical sectional viewthrough the front end of the box shown in the preceding view; and Fig. 9a view, similar to Fig. 2, of the modified form of my invention.

Describing the parts by reference characters and with special referenceto Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, 1 denotes the body of a box of the characterreferred to hereinbefore, the body being preferably cylindrical inshape. At its, rear end, it is provided with a closure 2 which may beconveniently applied to the body by means of interengaging flanges 3 and4. The closure 2 is provided with in- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

Serial No. 739,230.

wardly pressed portions 5 forming therebetween a rib 5 by means of whichsaid closure is stifiened and the box conveniently secured to thesupporting post 6 as by bolts 7 pro ecting from the post through the rib5 and provided with nuts 8. The front end of the box is provided with awired edge 9, back of which there is located an inwardly directed rib orbead 10. Beneath the lower front edge of the box there is riveted astrap 11, said strap being provided with a pair of lateral extensions 12constituting downwardly extending lugs to which the door is pivoted. Thedoor consists generally of a sheet metal body 13, generally circular inoutline but having a downward extension 14. The body and extension areprovided with a rearwardly projecting flange 15 having a wired edge 16.The lower ends of the flange 15 are substantially vertical, as shown at15 and are pivotally connected to the lugs 12, as by means of the rivets17. The strap 11 and the end portion of the box thereabove are providedwith alined drain openings 18, located between the front edge of thebottom of the casing and the bead 10. At its upper end, the door isprovided with a hand-grip 19, which is of general U shape in crosssection, the hand grip being secured to the door by means of flanges 20and rivets 21. The upper end of the hand grip is provided with anangular locking projection 22 which is adapted to pass beneath and beengaged by the outer looped end 23 of a spring latch 24 secured to thecasing 1. The outer end of this spring latch has an inclined surface 23which is adapted to engage the correspondingly inclined surface of theprojection 29. and is rounded adjacent to such surface, whereby theangular projection may easily pass beneath the outer end of the latchbut be positively engaged and locked thereby when the cover is in closedposition. The operator can open the cover conveniently by grasping thehand grip and merely pulling outwardly on the same. Secured to the innersurface of the cover are the spring clips 25. These clips form aconvenient means for retaining letters, etc, which it is desired thatthe carrier shall collect. In order to prevent interference with thehand or sleeve of the operator the clips may be secured to the door withtheir free or receiving ends directed downwardly. Cooperating with thecover is a target. This arget comprise nam indi t r body 26 having asleeve 27 at one end which is adapted to be slid upon the upper end ofthe target arm 28. This target arm may be conveniently formed of sheetmetal the body 29 whereof is flattened to afford a suitable bearing uponand connection with the door,

the arm or extension being conveniently formed by rolling the sheetmetal upon itself to form a tube, the tubular portion 30 being receivedwithin the sleeve 27 of the indicator body 26. The target arm ispivotally connected to the door by means of a rivet 31, which mayconveniently extend through the door and through a plate 32 on the rearor inner face of the door. This rivet 31 is rigid with the target armand forms in effect a shaft operated thereby, and the rear or inner endof this shaft is rigidly connected with the plate 32. The plate 32 isprovided with a pair of stop projections, said projections being formedas angularly spaced flanges 33 and 34. The flange 31 is adapted toengage the forward inner surface of the casing 1 when the target arm isin the position shown in the drawings and the flange 33 is adapted toengage such surface when the target arm is depressed about 90. Forthepurpose of limiting the throw of the target arm, the plate 32 isprovided with an arcuate slot 35 through which there extends a rivet 36.

' Should the owner of the box have any letters or other articles thereinfor the carrier, he will open the door and raise the indicator arm sothat the flange 3% can engage the front end of the casing. By closingthe door the arm will remain in its elevated position. By opening thedoor, the arm may be set so that the other flange will engage the innersurface of the casing and the arm be supported in a substantiallyhorizontal position to indicate that there are no letters or otherarticles in the box for the carrier. Should it be desirable, a pad lockmay be inserted through the adjacent portions of the handle 19 and thelatch loop 23 to lock the door shut. As will appear from an inspectionof Figs. 1 and 4, when the 'door is closed, the flange 15 thereof willoverhang the end of the box. Should any moisture enter the frontend ofthe casing, there is little probability thatit will get beyond the bead10, which serves as a water shed to direct the moisture toward the drainopenings 18. The casing may also be provided with a bead 10 at the rearthereof, for purposes of strength and to balance the front end of thebox.

Reference has been made to the modification shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9.In this modification, the body 1 of the box is con structed in the samemanner as the body of the box described hereinbefore, the maindifferences between the two embodiments of the invention residing in thetarget construction and in the door closing and looking means. In theembodiment of the in vention shown in Figs. 7 to 9, the door 13 isprovided with an extension 1 1 and with a flange 15 which issubstantially identical with like designated parts on the precedingfigure. The strap 11 in the second modification, however, contacts withthe casing 1 at its central portion only, leaving the ends 11 free toyieldcupwardly when occasion may require, the strap 11 being formed ofspring metal. The lugs 12 have the flange 15 pivotally connectedthereto,'as is the case with the first modification. The door is latchedin place by means of the upper portion 15 of the rearwardly projectingflange 15. This upper portion is provided with a bead 15 which isadapted to slip over the wired front edge 9 of the casing 1, theyielding ends 11 of the hinge strap l1 permitting this action. For thepurpose of locking the door closed, a strap 37 may be provided having anaperture 38 in its upper end which aperture is adapted to aline with anaperture 39 in a vertical extension 4-0 of a strap 41 secured to andprojecting upwardly from the top of the casing 1. In this modification,the cover handle 42 is preferably a U-shaped strap having its endsriveted to the front of the door. The target with which the door isprovided consists of a light metal arm 42 having the indicator 43 formedtherewith and projecting at an angle therefrom. The arm 42 is pivoted tothe door 13* in identically the same manner as the arm in the precedingmodification, and the various parts constituting the pivoting andsupporting means are designated by the same numerals as appear inconnection with the first embodiment.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: i v

1. In a device of the character set forth, the combination, with acasing having a door, of a target arm pivoted to said door, and a membermovable with said arm and having angularly spaced projections adapted toengage the casing and to retain the target arm in varying positions.

2. In a device of thecharacter set forth, the combination, with acasing, of a door pivoted to one end of said casing, a target armpivoted to said door, and angularly spaced projections carried by thedoorand movable with said arm and adapted to engage the casing end whenthe door is closed.

3. In a device of the character set forth, the combination, with acasing, of a door pivoted at one edge to said casing, a shaft journaledin said connected with said shaft, and a member on the inner surface ofthe door rigidly connected with the shaft and having angularly spacedflanges adapted to engage the adjacent end of the casing when the dooris closed. v

4. In a device of thecharacter set forth,-

door, a target arm rigidly the'combination of a casing, a door for saidcasing, a shaft pivoted in said door, a target arm rigidly connected tosaid shaft .on the outer surface of the door, a plate movable with thetarget arm and having a pair of angularly spaced flanges adapted toengage the adjacent end of the casing when the door is closed, saidplate having an arcuate slot therein, and a pin carried by the door andextending through said slot.

5. In a device of the character set forth, the combination with acasing, of a door hinged to said casing, a target arm pivoted to saiddoor, a member movable with the target arm and having a projection whichis adapted to engagethe casing when the door is closed, and means forarresting the movement of said member when its projection is in aposition to engage the casing.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for 6. In a device of thecharacter set forth, the combination with a casing, of a door hinged tosaid casing, a target arm pivoted to said door, a member movable withthe target arm and having two projections, either of which is adapted toengage the casing when the door is closed, and means for arresting themovement of said member in either direction when one of its projectionsis in a position to engage the casing.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

LEE S. GHADWICK.

WVitnesses:

J. B. HULL, BRENNAN B. WEST.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

